Lit Fest: Jack Gulati

Born in India in 1942, Jack David Gulati immigrated to America with his family in 1958 when he was 15 years old. He attended high school in New York City, graduating in 1959. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota, and after a somewhat circuitous route, he received Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1966.

Like his father and grandfather before him, Gulati had ambitions to become an entrepreneur. He acquired his first business in 1968 at the age of 26, and in the ensuing years he bought, sold or created 40 businesses. Among his companies in the United States and Europe have been Fidelity Technologies Corporation, TeleAlarm Group, Fidelity Investment Corporation, SafetyCare Technologies and Stokesay Castle. In 2014, Gulati bought the Reading Royals Ice Hockey team, in order to keep the team from moving away from the City of Reading.

Gulati has received many honors over the years. President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the White House Conference on Small Business in 1986, and President George H. W. Bush appointed him to the Small Business Advisory Committee of Federal Communications Commission. In 1992, Gulati was part of a delegation sent to Dakar, Senegal, to advise African countries on matters involving the transition from military to civil rule.

Gulati was elected Township Supervisor in Upper Merion Township, Pa., serving from 1980-1986. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress from the 13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania in 1982. Over the years, Gulati has been involved in civic and business organizations, namely Kiwanis Club, Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.

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